Music career

2012–2013: Breakthrough

Smith was featured on the Disclosure song "Latch", which was released on 8 October 2012 and peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. In February 2013, he released the first single from his debut album, "Lay Me Down". He was also featured on Naughty Boy's single "La La La". It was released on 19 May 2013 and peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. The same year, he released his first EP Nirvana consisting of four tracks. The first song on the EP titled, "Safe with Me", is produced by Two Inch Punch and premiered on MistaJam's BBC Radio 1Xtra show on 24 July 2013.[17] The second song on the EP is titled "Nirvana" and is produced by Craze & Hoax and Jonathan Creek. The EP also includes Smith's acoustic solo version of "Latch" and a live version of "I've Told You Now".[18] Smith released the Disclosure, Nile Rodgers, and Jimmy Napes collaboration "Together" on 25 November 2013 as the only single from Settle: The Remixes.

2014–2016: In the Lonely Hour and international success

Smith singing in Glasgow in 2014

The second single from his debut album, titled "Money on My Mind", was released on 16 February 2014. It was announced on 16 December that Smith's debut studio album titled In the Lonely Hour would be released on 26 May 2014 through Capitol Records.[5] He describes the album as "all about unrequited love" because he has never been loved back by any of his love interests.[19] The album reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and number two on the Billboard 200, and by 5 November it had become the second biggest selling album of 2014 in the US behind only 1989 by Taylor Swift.[20][21] In January 2015, In the Lonely Hour was named the second best selling album of 2014 in the UK, behind x by Ed Sheeran.[22]
A live version of album track "I've Told You Now", performed at St Pancras Old Church, was made available for free download as part of an Amazon.com promotion on 27 December 2013.[23] The album track "Make It To Me", co-written by Howard of Disclosure and Jimmy Napes, was made available for free download as part of an iTunes Store promotion on 13 January 2014.[24] Smith went on his debut American headlining tour in the Spring of 2014, with a setlist of primarily new material.[19]

In March 2015, "Lay Me Down" was re-released as the sixth single from the album, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Smith's third US top 10 single).[37] The same month, Smith recorded another version of the song, featuring John Legend, for the British charity telethon Comic Relief, which reached number one in the UK.[38] At the 2015 Billboard Music Awards on 17 May, Smith received three Billboard Awards: Top Male Artist, Top New Artist, and Top Radio Songs Artist.[7] Smith features on Disclosure's single "Omen" which was released on 27 July 2015.[39]

On 8 September 2015, Smith confirmed that he and Jimmy Napes had composed "Writing's on the Wall", the theme song to Spectre, the 24th James Bond film.[40] The song was released on 25 September 2015 and became the first James Bond theme to reach number one in the UK.[41] On 19 October, Smith was presented with two Guinness World Records—one for recording the first James Bond theme song to go to number one in the UK, and another for scoring the most consecutive weeks in the UK top 10 by a debut album (In the Lonely Hour).[41] At the 73rd Golden Globe Awards on 10 January 2016, Smith received the Award for Best Original Song for "Writing's on the Wall".[42] On 14 January, the song earned Smith an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.[43] In the nominations for the 2016 Brit Awards announced on 14 January, the song was among the nominees for Best British Video.[44] Smith performed "Writing's on the Wall" at the Academy Awards on 28 February and, along with Napes, collected the prize for Best Original Song.[45] In his acceptance speech, Smith referenced an article by Ian McKellen published before the awards ceremony that claimed no openly gay man had won an Oscar for Best Actor; he misquoted McKellen as saying that no gay man in general had won an Oscar. This was quickly discredited by openly gay recipient Dustin Lance Black,[46] but McKellen mentioned that the error "doesn’t detract" from Smith's achievement.[47]

2016–present: The Thrill of It All

Throughout 2016, Smith released footage of himself in the studio working on new music, leading up to the release of his second studio album. In late 2016, he was said to be working with Adam Lambert on new material. In early 2017, it was reported that Smith would be releasing his second album in September 2017 and had recorded with constant collaborator Jimmy Napes and Naughty Boy. In April 2017, he was said to have been in studio sessions with classical crossover group Clean Bandit, working on a possible "comeback single". Along with the group, record producer Timbaland and musician Frances have said they have worked on songs for his upcoming album.[48]

On 8 September 2017, Smith released a new single titled "Too Good at Goodbyes",[49] which debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100.[50] His second studio album, The Thrill of It All, debuted atop the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, becoming his first number one album in the US.[51][52] On 20 March 2018, Smith started The Thrill of It All Tour, witch visited Europe, North America, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. On 27 March 2018, he released "Pray" featuring American rapper Logic. On 17 August 2018, the singer collaborated as the main vocalist on Calvin Harris's new track "Promises".[53] The song became Smith's seventh number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and his first top song on Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart.[54]

"It's all I listened to. I actually didn't listen to male vocalists until about two years ago. I just listened to Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan. Massive voices."[59]

In an October 2017 interview conducted by Elton John for Attitude magazine, Smith spoke of the impact of the success of his close friend Ed Sheeran. "It makes you push yourself. Watching him this past year has just been incredible, but yeah, of course it makes me hungry.”[60]

Personal life

In May 2014, Smith came out to the public as gay. He acknowledged a relationship—since ended—with actor and model Jonathan Zeizel.[61][62] At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards when "Stay with Me" won an award for Record of the Year he said, "I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year. Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys!"[63] In 2017, he stated his latest album, The Thrill of It All, showed "the gay guy I’ve become."[64]

Smith is a third cousin of singer Lily Allen and actor Alfie Allen.[65] Smith is the godfather of close friend and collaborator Jimmy Napes' son Jackson.[66]

In October 2017, Smith told the LGBT publication Attitude that he "[felt] as much a woman as I am a man".[64] Smith also admitted to owning mostly female clothing in his youth and wearing full makeup while attending school.[64] He describes himself as a feminist.[67]

Since September 2017, Smith admitted in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he was in a relationship. Celebrity tabloid media reports have stated Smith is dating actor Brandon Flynn. In June 2018, it was announced that Smith and Flynn had split after nine months of dating.[68]

In October 2017, in an interview with The Sunday Times, Smith came out as being a genderqueer man, stating "I don't know what the title would be, but I feel as much woman as I am man." He also elaborated saying that he never classed himself as being a typical man, or cisgender, and even opened up about his past, saying "People don't know this, but when I was 17, I remember becoming obsessed with Boy George and Marilyn Monroe, and all that. There was one moment in my life where I didn't own a piece of male clothing, really. I would wear full make-up every day in school, eyelashes, leggings with Dr. Martens and huge fur coats, for 2 and a half years."[69][70][71]